# Fédération Aéronautique Internationale

The World Air Sports Federation (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale) is the world governing body for air sports, and also stewards definitions regarding human spaceflight. It was founded on 14 October 1905, and is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. It maintains world records for aeronautical activities, including ballooning, aeromodeling, and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), as well as flights into space.

## History

The FAI was founded at a conference held in Paris 12–14 October 1905, which was organized following a resolution passed by the Olympic Congress held in Brussels on 10 June 1905 calling for the creation of an Association "to regulate the sport of flying, ... the various aviation meetings and advance the science and sport of Aeronautics." The conference was attended by representatives from 8 countries: Belgium (Aéro Club Royal de Belgique, founded 1901), France (Aéro-Club de France, 1898), Germany (Deutscher Luftschiffer Verband aka "German Airship League", founded 1902), Great Britain (Royal Aero Club, 1901), Italy (Aero Club d'Italia [it], 1904), Spain (Real Aero Club de España [es], 1905), Switzerland (Aero-Club der Schweiz, 1900) and the United States (Aero Club of America, 1905).
On 2 February 2017 the FAI announced its new strategic partnership with international asset management firm Noosphere Ventures. FAI Secretary General Susanne Schödel, FAI President Frits Brink and Noosphere Ventures Managing Partner Max Polyakov signed the agreement, making Noosphere Ventures FAI's Global Technical Partner.
The FAI suspended Russia and Belarus due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, as a result of which pilots from Russia and Belarus will not be able to compete in any FAI-sanctioned event in the 13 FAI air sports disciplines, including paragliding, hang gliding, and paramotoring.

## FAI General Conference

The 117th FAI General Conference took place in Dayton, Ohio, US (the 'Birthplace of Aviation') on 26 and 27 October 2023.
The 118th FAI General Conference was held from 20 to 21 November 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The 119th FAI General Conference will take place in Vantaa, Finland from 22 to 24 October 2025.

## Sports

13 Sports:
* Aeromodelling (modelling (space modulation) – Space Modelling)
* Amateur-Built & Experimental Aircraft
* Ballooning
* Drones
* General Aviation
* Gliding
* Hang Gliding
* Microlights and Paramotors
* Paragliding
* Powered and glider aircraft Aerobatics
* Rotorcraft
* Parachuting (Skydiving)
* Space

## Air Sport Commissions

* General Air Sports (CASI)
* Aerobatics (CIVA)
* Aeromodelling (CIAM)
* Amateur-Built and Experimental Aircraft (CIACA)
* Astronautic Records (ICARE)
* Ballooning (CIA)
* General Aviation (GAC)
* Gliding (IGC)
* Hang Gliding and Paragliding (CIVL)
* Microlight and Paramotor (CIMA)
* Rotorcraft (CIG)
* Skydiving (ISC)

## Events

* World Air Games
* World Paragliding Championships
* World Gliding Championships
* World Parachuting Championships
* FAI World Aerobatic Championships
* World Hot Air Ballooning Championships
* FAI World Paramotor Slalom Championships
* 2023 FAI F3P World Championships
* World Cup of Indoor Skydiving
* FAI World Grand Prix
* Red Bull Air Race World Championship
* Parachuting (Skydiving)
All the events sanctioned by the FAI are listed in its events calendar.

### World Championships

The year that the first World Championship in each class (see Model aircraft competitions and classes took place are as follows:
* 1951: F1A, F1B, F1C
* 1960: F2A, F2B, F2C, F3A
* 1961: F1D
* 1970: F4B, F4C
* 1972: S-classes
* 1977: F3B
* 1978: F2D
* 1985: F3C, F3D
* 1986: F3E (now: F5B)
* 1989: F1E
* 1994: F5D (now F3E)
* 1998: F3
* 2010: F6A (WAG)
* 2010: F6B (WAG)
* 2010: F6D (WAG)
* 2011: F3K
* 2012: F3F
* 2013: F3N
* 2013: F3P
* 2014: F4H
* 2018: F3U
* 2019: F5J
* 2024: F3M

## Activities

The FAI is the international governing body for the following activities:
* Aerobatics through the FAI Aerobatics Commission (Commission Internationale de Voltige Aérienne – CIVA)
* Aeromodeling and drones through the FAI Aeromodelling Commission (Commission Internationale d'Aéro-Modélisme – CIAM)
* Ballooning through the FAI Ballooning Commission (Commission Internationale de l'Aérostation – CIA)
* General aviation through the FAI General Aviation Commission (General Aviation Commission – GAC)
* Gliding through the FAI Gliding Commission (International Gliding Commission – IGC)
* Hang gliding & Paragliding through the FAI Hang Gliding & Paragliding Commission (Commission Internationale de Vol Libre – CIVL)
* Human-powered aircraft through the FAI Amateur-Built and Experimental Aircraft Commission (Commission Internationale des Aéronefs de Construction Amateur – CIACA)
* Microlighting and Paramotoring through the FAI Microlight & Paramotor Commission (Commission Internationale de Microaviation – CIMA)
* Skydiving through the FAI International Skydiving Commission
* Rotorcraft through the FAI Rotorcraft Commission (Commission Internationale de giraviation – CIG)
The FAI establishes the standards for records in the activities. Where these are air sports, the FAI also oversees international competitions at world and continental levels, and also organizes the World Air Games and FAI World Grand Prix.
The FAI organises the FAI International Drones Conference and Expo. This event offers a platform for organisations, businesses and individuals to discuss how drones are used today and to create a framework for how they will be used and impact on life in the future.
The FAI also keeps records set in human spaceflight, through the FAI Astronautic Records Commission (International Astronautic Records Commission – ICARE)

### Kármán Line definition

The FAI defines the limit between Earth's atmosphere and outer space, the so-called Karman Line, as the altitude of 100 kilometres (62 miles; 330,000 feet) above Earth's sea level.

## Records

Among the FAI's responsibilities are the verification of record-breaking flights. For a flight to be registered as a "World Record," it has to comply with the FAI's strict rules, which include a proviso that the record must exceed the previous record by a certain percentage. Since the late 1930s, military aircraft have dominated some classes of record for powered aircraft such as speed, distance, payload, and height, though other classes are regularly claimed by civilians.
Some records are claimed by countries as their own, even though their achievements fail to meet FAI standards. These claims are not typically granted the status of official records. For example, Yuri Gagarin earned recognition for the first manned spaceflight, despite failing to meet FAI requirements. The FAI initially did not recognize the achievement because he did not land in his Vostok spacecraft (he ejected from it), but later it recognized that Gagarin was the first human to fly into space. The FAI then established the Yuri A. Gagarin Gold Medal, which has been awarded since 1968.

### Classes

The following types of craft have records:
* Class A Free Balloons
* Class B Airships
* Class C Aeroplanes
** Class CS Solar-Powered Aeroplanes
* Class D Gliders & Motorgliders
* Class E Rotorcraft
* Class F Model Aircraft
** Class F1 – Free flight
** Class F2 – Control line
** Class F3 – Radio control
*** F3K – Discus Launch Glider
*** F3F – Slope Soaring
** Class F4 – Scale model aircraft
** Class F5 – Electrically powered model aircraft
*** F5B – Electric powered motor gliders
*** F5D – Electric powered pylon racing model aircraft
** Class F8 – Autonomous flight (created by CIAM in 2006, later retired)
** Class F9 – Drone Sports
*** F9A – Drone soccer
*** F9U – Drone racing
* Class G Parachuting
* Class H Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) Aeroplanes
* Class I Manpowered aircraft
* Class K Spacecraft
* Class M Tilt-Wing/Tilt Engine Aircraft
* Class N Short Take-off and Landing (STOL) Aeroplanes
* Class O Hang Gliding & Paragliding
* Class P Aerospacecraft
* Class R Microlights and Paramotors
* Class S Space Models (Model rockets)
* Class U Unmanned aerial vehicles

### Selected records

| Date | Measurement | Person | Aircraft | Type |
| Class A: Free balloons ||||||
| 31 January 2015 | 160 hours 34 minutes. | Troy Bradley (United States) Leonid Tyukhtyaev (Russia) | Two Eagles Balloon | Duration |
| 31 March 1999 | 40,814 km. | Bertrand Piccard (Switzerland) Brian Jones (Great Britain) | Breitling Orbiter | Distance |
| 4 May 1961 | 34,668 meters | Malcolm Ross (United States) Victor Prather (United States) | Winzen | Absolute altitude |
| Class C: Aeroplanes ||||||
| 11 February 2006 | 41,467.53 km | Steve Fossett (United States) | Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer | Flight distance record (without refueling) |
| 28 July 1976 | 3,529.56 km/h | Eldon W. Joersz (United States) | Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird | Flight airspeed record |
| 31 August 1977 | 37,650 m | Aleksandr Vasilyevich Fedotov (Soviet Union) | MiG E-266M | Flight altitude record |
| 22 October 1938 | 17,083 m | Mario Pezzi (Italy) | Caproni Ca.161 | Flight altitude record (piston engine without payload) |
| Class CS: Solar-powered aeroplanes ||||||
| 7 July 2010 | 9,235 m 26 h 10 m 19 s | André Borschberg (Switzerland) | Solar Impulse (Prototype) | Solar powered Duration and Flight altitude record |
| 25 May 2012 | 1116 km | André Borschberg (Switzerland) | Solar Impulse (Prototype) | Solar powered Distance |
| Class D: Gliders & motorgliders ||||||
| 3 September 2017 | 15,902 m | Jim Payne (United States) Morgan Sandercock (Australia) | Windward Performance Perlan II | Gliding Altitude |
| 2 September 2018 | 23,202 m | Tim Gardner (United States) Jim Payne (United States) | Windward Performance Perlan II | Gliding Altitude (to be ratified) |
| 21 January 2003 | 3,008.8 km | Klaus Ohlmann (Germany) Karl Rabeder (Austria) | Schempp-Hirth Nimbus-4 | Gliding Distance |
| Class E-1: Helicopters ||||||
| 11 August 1986 | 400.87 km/h | John Trevor Egginton (Great Britain) | Westland Lynx G-LYNX (modified) | Speed over a straight 15/25 km course |
| Class G-2: Parachuting performance records ||||||
| 14 October 2012 | 1357.6 km/h | Felix Baumgartner (Austria) | Red Bull Stratos | Vertical speed |
| 8 February 2006 | 400 Skydivers | World Team | 5 Lockheed C-130 | Largest Skydiving Formation |
| Class I-C: Humanpowered aeroplane ||||||
| 23 April 1988 | 115.11 km 3h 54mn 59s | Kanellos Kanellopoulos (Greece) | MIT Daedalus 88 | Human powered Distance and Duration |
| 2 October 1985 | 44.32 km/h | Holger Rochelt (West Germany) | Musculair II | Speed over a closed circuit |
| Class I-E: Humanpowered rotorcraft ||||||
| 25 September 2013 | 1min 37.5 sec | Justin Mauch (United States) | Gamera | Duration |
| Class O: Hang Gliding & Paragliding ||||||
| 13 October 2016 | 564.3.0 km | Donizete Baldessar Lemos (Brazil) Rafael Monteiro Saladini (Brazil) Samuel Nascimento (Brazil) | Ozone Enzo 2 Ozone Enzo 2 Gin Boomerang 10 | Straight distance with a paraglider |
| Class R: Microlights ||||||
| 14 February 2002 | 187 km/h | Julian Harris (Great Britain) Bob Sharp (Great Britain) | Jabiru Aircraft UL | 3 axis flight airspeed record |
| Class U: Unmanned aerial vehicles ||||||
| 14 August 2001 | 96,863 feet (29,524 m) | Piloted remotely by Greg Kendall (United States) | AeroVironment Helios Prototype | Sustained horizontal flight altitude record by a winged aircraft |

## Awards

The FAI Gold Air Medal was established in 1924 and was first awarded in 1925. It is reserved for those who have contributed greatly to the development of aeronautics by their activities, work, achievements, initiative or devotion to the cause of Aviation. The FAI has also awarded the Paul Tissandier Diploma since 1952 to those who have served the cause of aviation in general and sporting aviation in particular.
The FAI also makes awards for each of the following air sports.
* Awards for Ballooning:
** The Montgolfier Ballooning Diploma
** The Santos Dumont Gold Airship Medal
* Awards for General Aviation:
** The Charles Lindbergh General Aviation Diploma
* Awards for Gliding:
** The Lilienthal Gliding Medal
** The Pelagia Majewska Gliding Medal
** The Pirat Gehriger Diploma
* Awards for Rotorcraft:
** The FAI Gold Rotorcraft Medal
* Awards for Parachuting:
** The FAI Gold Parachuting Medal
** The Leonardo da Vinci Parachuting Diploma
** The Faust Vrancic Medal
* Awards for Aeromodelling:
** The FAI Aeromodelling Gold Medal
** The Andrei Tupolev Aeromodelling Medal
** The Alphonse Penaud Aeromodelling Diploma
** The Antonov Aeromodelling Diploma
** The Andrei Tupolev Aeromodelling Diploma
** The Frank Ehling Diploma
* Awards for Aerobatics:
** The Leon Biancotto Aerobatics Diploma
* Awards for Astronautics:
** The Yuri A. Gagarin Gold Medal
** The V.M. Komarov Diploma
** The Korolev Diploma
** The Odyssey Diploma
* Awards for Hang Gliding:
** The Pepe Lopes Medal
** The FAI Hang Gliding Diploma
* Awards for Microlight Aviation:
** The Colibri Diploma
** The Ann Welch Diploma
* Awards for Aviation and Space Education:
** The Nile Gold Medal
* Awards for Amateur-Built Aircraft:
** The Phoenix Diploma
** The Phoenix Group Diploma
** The Henri Mignet Diploma

## FAI Young Artists Contest

The FAI Young Artists Contest is an international painting competition for youngsters between the ages of 6 and 17. Each FAI Member Country organises the contest in their country, and the national winners are submitted to the International Jury each year.

## Members
### Active members

| Country | Member name | Year of Affiliation |
| Albania | Federata Shqiptare e Aeronautikës | 2000 |
| Algeria | Federation Algérienne Des Sports Aériens | |
| Argentina | Confederacion Argentina De Entidades Aerodeportivas | 1910 |
| Australia | Australian Sport Aviation Confederation | 1948 |
| Austria | Österreichischer Aero Club | 1910 |
| Azerbaijan | Azərbaycan Hava və Ekstremal İdman Növləri Federasiyası | 2000 |
| Belarus | Belarusian Federation of Air Sports (suspended) | 1994 |
| Belgium | Royal Belgian Aero Club | 1905 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Vazduhoplovni Savez Bosne I Hercegovine | 1996 |
| Brazil | Comissão de Aerodesporto Brasileira | 1919 |
| Bulgaria | Bulgarski Natsionalen Aeroklub | 1934 |
| Canada | Aero Club of Canada | 1931 |
| Chile | Federacion Aerea De Chile | 1921 |
| China | Aero Sports Federation of China | 1921 |
| Chinese Taipei | Chinese Taipei Aerosports Federation | 1990 |
| Colombia | Federacion Colombiana De Deportes Aereos "Federaeros" | 1951 |
| Croatia | Hrvatski Zrakoplovni Savez | 1992 |
| Cuba | Aviation Club of Cuba | 1927 |
| Cyprus | Kypriaki Aerathlitiki Omospondia | 1961 |
| Czech Republic | Aeroklub České Republiky | 1920 |
| Denmark | Kongelig Dansk Aeroklub | 1909 |
| Egypt | Aero Club of Egypt | 1911 |
| Estonia | Eesti Lennuspordi Föderatsioon | 1938 |
| Finland | Suomen Ilmailuliitto Ry | 1921 |
| France | Aero Club de France | 1905 |
| Germany | Deutscher Aero Club e.V. | 1905 |
| Greece | Elliniki Aerathlitiki Omospondia | 1931 |
| Guatemala | Asociacion Guatemalteca De Deportes Aereos | 1953 |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong Aviation Club Ltd | 1977 |
| Hungary | Magyar Repülö- és Légisport Szövetség | 1910 |
| Iceland | Flugmálafélag Íslands | 1937 |
| India | Aero Club of India | 1949 |
| Indonesia | Federasi Aero Sport Indonesia | 1973 |
| Ireland | National Aero Club of Ireland | 1946 |
| Islamic Republic of Iran | Kanoone Havanavardiye Iran | 1964 |
| Israel | Aero Club of Israel | 1951 |
| Italy | Aero Club D'Italia | 1905 |
| Japan | Nippon Koku Kyokai | 1919 |
| Jordan | Royal Aerosports Club of Jordan | 2005 |
| Kazakhstan | Kazakhstan Air Sports Federation | 1994 |
| Kosovo | Federata Aeronautike e Kosovës | 2015 |
| Kuwait | Kuwait Science Club | 1972 |
| Latvia | Latvijas Aeroklubs | 1938 |
| Lebanon | Aero Club du Liban | 1924 |
| Libya | Libyan Airsports Federation | 1975 |
| Lithuania | Lietuvos Aeroklubas | 1931 |
| Luxembourg | Federation Aeronautique Luxembourgeoise | 1929 |
| Malaysia | Persekutuan Sukan Udara Malaysia | 1961 |
| Moldova | Federatia De Parapantism Din Republica Moldova | 1997 |
| Mongolia | Mongolian Air Sports Federation | 2006 |
| Montenegro | Vazduhoplovni Savez Crne Gore | 1922 |
| Morocco | Federation Royale Marocaine De L'Aviation Legere Et Sportive | 1952 |
| Mozambique | Aeroclube De Mocambique | 1986 |
| Nepal | Nepal Airsports Association | 2002 |
| Netherlands | Koninklijke Nederlandse Vereniging Voor Luchtvaart | 1909 |
| New Zealand | Royal New Zealand Aero Club Inc. | 1952 |
| North Macedonia | Vozduhoplovna Federacija Na Makedonija | 1993 |
| Norway | Norges Luftsportforbund | 1909 |
| Pakistan | All Pakistan Aero Modelling & Ultralight Association | 1955 |
| Philippines | 3D Air Sports And Hobbies Association, Incorporated | 1965 |
| Poland | Aeroklub Polski | 1920 |
| Portugal | Aero Club De Portugal | 1913 |
| Qatar | Qatar Air Sports Committee | 2002 |
| Republic of Korea | Daehanmingook Hang Gong Hwe | 1959 |
| Romania | Federatia Aeronautica Romana | 1923 |
| Russia | Federatsia Avtsionnogo Sporta Rossii (suspended) | 1909 |
| San Marino | Federazione Aeronautica Sammarinese | 1971 |
| Saudi Arabia | Saudi Aviation Club | 1997 |
| Serbia | Vazduhoplovni Savez Srbije | 1922 |
| Singapore | Air Sports Federation of Singapore | 1984 |
| Slovakia | Slovenský národný aeroklub gen. M.R. Štefánika | 1920 |
| Slovenia | Letalska Zveza Slovenija | 1992 |
| South Africa | Aero Club of South Africa | 1938 |
| Spain | Real FederacIón Aeroáutica Española | 1905 |
| Sweden | Svenska Flygsportförbundet | 1907 |
| Switzerland | Aero Club Der Schweiz | 1905 |
| Thailand | Royal Aeronautics Sports Association of Thailand | 1979 |
| Tunisia | Fédération tunisienne d’Aéronautique et d’Aéromodélisme | 2015 |
| Turkey | Türk Hava Kurumu | 1925 |
| Ukraine | Federation of Aeronautical Sports of Ukraine | 1992 |
| United Arab Emirates | Emirates Aviation Association | 1980 |
| United Kingdom | Royal Aero Club of the United Kingdom | 1905 |
| United States of America | National Aeronautic Association Of The USA | 1905 |
| Uzbekistan | Texnik Va Amaliy Sport Turlari Markazi | 1995 |
| Venezuela | Asociacion Venezolana De Los Deportes Aeronauticos (A.V.D.A.) | 1952 |
| Vietnam | Hanoi Air Sports Association | |

### Associate members

| Country | Member Name |
| Liechtenstein | Modellfluggruppe Liechtenstein Liechtensteinischer Hängegleiter Verband |
| Oman | Oman National Free Fall Team |
| Paraguay | Asociacion Paraguaya Paracaidismo Deportivo |
| Portugal | Federaçâo Portuguesa De Aeromodelismo Federaçâo Portuguesa De Voo Livre |
| Qatar | Qatar Rc Sport Center |
| Romania | Federatia Romana De Modelism |
| Uruguay | Asociacion Uruguaya De Parapente |

### Affiliate members

| Country | |
| - | Colpar |
| - | Europe Airsports |
| - | OSTIV |
| - | Segelflugszene GGMBH |

### Temporary members

| Country | Member name |
| Armenia | National Committee of Aeromodelling And Spacemodelling Sports |
| El Salvador | Federacion Salvadoreña De Paracaidismo Y Aerodeportes |
| Iraq | Al- Sokoor Aero Club |
| Laos | Lao Airsports Club |
| Paraguay | Asociacion Paraguaya Paracaidismo Deportivo |
| Syrian Arab Republic | Syrian Parachute Federation |
| Vietnam | Hanoi Air Sports Association |

### Suspended members

| Country | Member Name |
| Botswana | Parachute Association Of Botswana |
| Ecuador | Club De Aeromodelismo Quito |
| Iraq | Iraqi Aero Federation |
| Mexico | Federacion Mexicana De Aeronautica, A.C. |
| Monaco | Aero Club De Monaco |
| Palestine | Palestine Air Sports Federation |
| Peru | Federacion Peruana Aerodeportiva |